Letters To The Editor...........
Aldrich didn't make his case
Judge Stephen Aldrich's Aug. 4 Taking Exception op-ed, "Column fails to make case for custody law changes," does not support his allegation that Mark Yost fails to make his case. The point of Yost's columns are that the current custody presumption is unfair and, therefore, needs reform.
Currently, one parent is allowed to remain a real parent (custodial) while the other becomes a "second class" parent with few, if any, rights (non-custodial). Presumption of joint physical custody is only a starting point and makes sense in light of the fact that the parents were presumed equal in the marriage. Anything less than a presumption of joint custody is bad law because it is at odds with "all [persons] are created equal." The evidence presented and the fair application of good law should determine whether or not parents remain equals at the conclusion of the custody case.
Aldrich completely fails to show how a presumption in which the parties start out as equals threaten a fair, child-centered outcome of a custody case. That is because the presumption of joint legal and physical custody could never be such a threat.
Aldrich's submission appears to miss the point of Yost's columns and does exactly what it alleges Yost has done: it fails to make its case.
CHRISTOPHER and KATHLEEN HEITZINGER
St. Paul
Fathers are every bit as important as mothers. And, I hate saying it, but there are more than a few bad apples in the guise of mothers who ignore their children and their needs on a daily basis. Some mothers use their children as tools of manipulation and think that they have a greater right to parent, raise and make the decisions that impact their children.
I'd like to see anyone who has ever had the honor and privilege of being a child's parent go through not seven years worth of fighting, deceit and denial of parental access, like we have, but just five minutes. I'd like to see them watch a child cry uncontrollably because they were told they couldn't see their daddy, even when he's in the driveway. I'd like to see them experience that before they say matter-of-factly that there is not a serious problem with the way Minnesota courts and the law handle custody.
MAI CHAN
St. Paul Park
Judge Stephen Aldrich's Aug. 4 Taking Exception op-ed, "Column fails to make case for custody law changes," does not support his allegation that Mark Yost fails to make his case. The point of Yost's columns are that the current custody presumption is unfair and, therefore, needs reform.
Currently, one parent is allowed to remain a real parent (custodial) while the other becomes a "second class" parent with few, if any, rights (non-custodial). Presumption of joint physical custody is only a starting point and makes sense in light of the fact that the parents were presumed equal in the marriage. Anything less than a presumption of joint custody is bad law because it is at odds with "all [persons] are created equal." The evidence presented and the fair application of good law should determine whether or not parents remain equals at the conclusion of the custody case.
Aldrich completely fails to show how a presumption in which the parties start out as equals threaten a fair, child-centered outcome of a custody case. That is because the presumption of joint legal and physical custody could never be such a threat.
Aldrich's submission appears to miss the point of Yost's columns and does exactly what it alleges Yost has done: it fails to make its case.
CHRISTOPHER and KATHLEEN HEITZINGER
St. Paul
Fathers are every bit as important as mothers. And, I hate saying it, but there are more than a few bad apples in the guise of mothers who ignore their children and their needs on a daily basis. Some mothers use their children as tools of manipulation and think that they have a greater right to parent, raise and make the decisions that impact their children.
I'd like to see anyone who has ever had the honor and privilege of being a child's parent go through not seven years worth of fighting, deceit and denial of parental access, like we have, but just five minutes. I'd like to see them watch a child cry uncontrollably because they were told they couldn't see their daddy, even when he's in the driveway. I'd like to see them experience that before they say matter-of-factly that there is not a serious problem with the way Minnesota courts and the law handle custody.
MAI CHAN
St. Paul Park
posted by Richar' Farr at 9:24 AM
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